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Firearm Registration in the District of Columbia

The Metropolitan Police Department is the agency responsible for registering firearms in the District of Columbia. The Department’s publication, Firearms Registration General Requirements and Study Guide, provides you with the information you need to comply with the District’s laws regarding proper registration and safekeeping of your weapon. By being familiar with the law and the process, you will be able to quickly and easily register your weapon and ensure that you are in compliance.

Changes to Firearms Registration

MPD is pleased to announce several changes to streamline the firearms registration process for registrants, consistent with the Firearms Emergency Amendment Act of 2012. Changes have been made in the following categories:

Firearms Eligible for Registration

To protect residents from unsafe handguns that are more prone to accidental discharge, lack safety devices, and may be prone to firing when dropped, the Council of the District of Columbia identified the California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale (also known as the California Roster of Handguns Determined Not to be Unsafe) as a source list for safer handguns. Handguns on the roster have passed firing, safety, and drop tests and are certified for sale in California by the California Department of Justice. The Chief of Police is authorized to periodically revise, by rule, the roster of handguns permissible for sale.

The regulations will establish a District Roster of Handguns Not Determined to be Unsafe that will include the California list and handguns that are on the safe gun rosters of Maryland and Massachusetts. These regulations will allow for handguns with superficial differences from handguns on the roster – such as color or grip material – to be registered. The regulations will also allow for handguns that are removed from the California list for administrative reasons to remain on the District list.